Using the term “Holocaust” when describing the effects of Republican “propaganda” – or anything else – is beyond incendiary. To excuse it as mere “historical context” shows a breathtaking insensitivity to the victims and a towering ignorance about the nature and meaning of language. But as long as it is used in service to the higher political goal of savaging your opponent, it is just another means to an end.
Then, just as everyone had taken a deep breath following the initial outrage at Cohen’s remarks, the flamethrowing Congressman was interviewed by Washington Post blogger Greg Sargent and tossed a little gasoline onto the fire. He declared, “Not in any way whatsoever was I comparing Republicans to Nazis. I was saying lies are wrong…I don’t know who got everybody’s panties in a wad over this statement.”
Where do the Democrats get such classy characters?
Cohen has also pulled “the ethnic card” in this interview with TPM’s Ryan J. Reilly, saying that “I think being Jewish I’ve got a little more standing to bring up Goebbels and Nazis and the lies that they perpetrated on my ancestors.” He added the impossibly tone deaf notion that “I’ve kept the civil tone, and lies are lies and I’ve got a long track record of standing up against lies.”
No retreat, no surrender…no remorse. It also appears that Mr. Cohen was in the back of the line when God was handing out empathy genes. It takes a lot to outshine your congressional colleagues when it comes to exhibiting soullessness and a cold blooded approach to political combat. No doubt Representative Cohen is next in line to become DNC Chair.
A few liberals have taken Cohen to task for his blood libel. Kevin Drum at Mother Jones called Cohen’s defense “feeble” and accused him of having the clear intent of smearing Republicans by comparing them to Nazis.
But there was also much agreement elsewhere among liberals that Cohen spoke “truth to power” or, whatever. Libby Spencer at the Impolitic blog, called the comparison “apt” and added, “Good for him. No reason to apologize.”
And at the Democratic Underground, where reason and logic are on permanent holiday there is much rejoicing. A sampling from one thread:
No more caving in to their bullying. Good for him!
He did his part to bring truth to the national dialog.
Our problem is that we back down whenever something this incendiary is said. Even if it is the truth.
Because it’s a valid comparison that has needed to be said for a long time
If the Left isn’t dismissing Cohen’s comments by pretending he really wasn’t equating the GOP with fascists while chastising the Right for making a big deal out of them, they are supporting the use of the Nazi analogy as proper political discourse, and that Democrats should give Republicans more of the same.
Politics is a blood sport where it’s perfectly alright to question your opponent’s antecedents, and where hair pulling, eye gouging, and knee twisting is an accepted form of combat. If you’ve got a weak stomach, or are the sensitive sort and easily bruised, it would probably be better than you find a less strenuous occupation – perhaps being shot out of a cannon is more your cup of tea.
But there are lines that cannot be crossed. Call it “civility,” or something else, it hardly matters. Representative Cohen crossed it, Democrats and liberals aren’t objecting, and the president’s words seem like so much water flowing over the rocks, quickly disappearing in the cracks, and leaving no mark where they ebbed.
The "Wise Health Insurance" is quite popular in California and New York. For example it offers the low income health plan. Also offers health insurance for individual with pre-exisiting conditions.
Does the 'Big Lie' remind AIPAC too much of the official 9/11 fairytale?
Lets see how much the gut and blood fellow can actually fez up to it.
Since in general those types seldom serve in the military let alone is combat assignments, the only blood they see is when they cut themselves with a broken cup of au lette.
Now seriously. I am not too concerned as a Levite myself when a Cohen, (maybe), of that type uses that term. They pop the Nazi thing or if they feel like, the McCarty term as often a they pop abortion pills to their mates, when those are actually females and by error, fertile. About 20% of the time both parameters.
Hey! How's it going Cohen?
Rep. COHEN is representative of the 80% of Jews that voted blindly for OBAMA
because he was their party's candidate (as a rule American Jews are congenital DEMOCRAPS, which accounts for Jewish Republicans being the exception,
scarce as hen's teeth as they are), since knowing piddly squat of him, they voted
in droves for him, which brought me to ask a lady who told me she didn't care who
he was as long as he was her party's choice.
And when I asked her whether if her party would have chosen a monkey, would
she have voted for him as well, her answer was YES…
THEREFORE, THERE IS NOTHING TO WONDER ABOUT REP. COHEN's
BRAYINGS…
THEY ARE JUST PAR FOR THE COURSE…..
No kidding. Every Cohen I've come across, except for one in the Navy, was a complete jerk. It's at the point where I won't allow someone with that surname into my house.
If everybody who you disagree with is a "Nazi", then what happens when you encounter a real, honest to goodness person who hates JEWS!
You are speechless!
I'll take it a step further: They either become speechless, or they commence with the pandering, Soros-style or some other variation. This is confirmed by the way JINOs (Jews In Name Only) like Cohen and the Hollywood types treat Muslims (kissy-kissy). The only reason they are so obsessed with trashing Hitler, Nazis, etc. is that it has presented no risk since 1945. Dennis Prager said it best: "Liberals" will not call an evil force by its name until after Conservatives have vanquished it.
Cohen knows very well that there will be no "Tea Party fatwahs" issued for his execution resulting from his "brave (in his mind, anyway) statements".
Steve Cohen US congress representative District 9 in Tennessee is the most liberal candidate on the planet. Financed by Jstreet but also an old member of the Good Ole boys Club, he was supported by both parties. He himself said , when facing Charlotte Bergmann his republican opponent , that his republican friends will vote for him and they did.
For years he has been doing a great job keeping the 67% black people in his district under control by making promises , throwing some crums to them once in a while ,using the MLK 's name right and left but never mentioning that MLK was a republican.
He was supported by big business name presidents who care only about money and do not give a damm about the constituents or the wrong direction this country is taking.
Mark Skoda and the local tea party tried to shed some light about the truth but a lack of time and money slowed down their efforts.
The tea party is not giving up and hopes that the National convention in April will wake up more people around the country.
Steve Cohen is a disgrace to the Democratic party and the jewish community
http://www.myteapartyconvention.com/
The simple fact is that one cannot argue with uneducated morons. However, even though Steve Cohen is educated, one cannot argue with him because he is an ideologue and facts that do not fit his warped goals are disregarded. That is why Steve Cohen has no reservation in twisting history and praising Hitler and the Nazis by comparing them to republican and tea partiers. His stance is a reflection on the lowness of his upbringing and deficit of his education.
I have a family photo of a beautiful woman and her 2 young children, all murdered by nazis. I was repulsed by this self righteous tirade. Why are there not enough intelligent and caring people to run for office?
Steve Cohen is one of the most despicable politicians I have ever seen. In my opinion, he will also antagonize non Jews who don't recognize the fact Cohen speaks only for himself and in no way imaginable represents American Jews. Some republicans will be angry not only with Cohen but unfortunately might become hostile to Jewish people in general. His level of depravity is made worse by trivializing the holocaust by comparing republicans and tea party members to a group of mass murderers who were responsible for the death of six millions Jews and 10s of millions of Christians (e.g. The Soviet Union is estimated to have lost up to 30 million people ). Cohen is a Soros-type Jew. He will sell his own mother and any other Jew for money and/or more political power. If he had been in Europe during the holocaust , Cohen would have been part of the tiny number of Jews who acted as traitors to their own people by assisting the Gestapo or the SS .
Jay, Your remarks are terrific. Your commentary should be sent to every member of Congress, as an apology for Cohen, because he's too arrogant to do it himself. Cohen, especially, needs to know the irreparable harm he's done to the American Jewish community (that he'll never represent!) Cohen, the J-Streeters, members of the so-called Jewish Funds for Justice, and other self-appointed spokespersons for the Jewish community, need to keep their ignorant remarks to themselves and hide their heads in shame.
Cohen's remarks are of no surprise. Civility on the part of Democrats???? That is a pipe dream. What Cohen said just exposes the hate that resides below the surface of Radical Leftists. With the murders in Tucson, where did the first accusations originate, the Radical Left. Where did the smears begin against Palin, Beck, Hannity begin? On the Radical Left. This is an attempt to stifle debate, free speech … for Conservatives. As Cohen's triad exemplifies, it does not apply to Democrats. And where is Obama in all this. Let us have peace. Did Obama castigate Cohen for his remarks? If you are waiting for that to happen, you probably believe the moon is made of Swiss cheese.
All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent.
Thomas Jefferson
I can see from some of the posts I was right about Cohen stirring up more antagonism towards Jews from those who have a predisposition of hostility towards Jews or those who are too unsophisticated to realize Cohen is unlike the vast majority of Jews except he is a demo rat. He is very similar to George Soros.
If Cohen was not totally irresponsible he would save the use of the word "Nazi" for people like NadePaulKuciGravMcKi who believes AIPAC controls the country, among other insane , very ignorant conspiracy theories.
Believe every word of the official government 9/11 story?
twin towers, building 7, pentagon, shanksville, anthrax
the federal reserve
controlled media
jaythehistorian
Glenn Beck
and Sarah
I had a Jewish colleague who was also close friend I closely worked with in the 1970's who was the Doctoral student of Hans Fischer in the 1930's, who lost his whole family at Auschwitz during WWII and was in a slave labor camp himself. He remarked to me one day, that he was always quite offended when pampered American Jews who never fought in any war, who never were in the holocaust, acting as though they were victims of the Nazis while they supported the principles of Commmunists.
that is great thank you.
Time to review the strategy of the Democrats lead by Obama. Practiced by Cohen.
Saul Alinsky 101 with the Republican response.
4. "Make the enemy live up to its own book of rules. This is what Republicans must watch out for. The Republicans are trying to show that their administration of the House is more open than Pelosis’. Watch the criticism fly. The Republicans MUST ignore it and give it right back to the Democrats.
5. "Ridicule is man's most potent weapon. “ They do this with Sarah Palin and other leaders all the time, but when they are on the butt end of it, they howl and cry, unfair. Republicans need to learn to give it right back to the Democrats.
6. "A good tactic is one your people enjoy." Gooding after Sarah Palin seems to be a particular sport of the Democrats. Rather than run away from her, Republicans need to support her and have fun with Democrats at the same time. They could say that Liberal Democratic men are intimidated by her because she is more man than they are.
8. "Keep the pressure on, Like in the ObamaCare repeal. Keep send the Senate a bill to repeal it. Offer Republican solutions. Investigate the real costs and let the people know. Make the Democrats have to defend it.
10. "The major premise for tactics is the development of operations that will maintain a constant pressure upon the opposition. It is this unceasing pressure that results in the reactions from the opposition that are essential for the success of the campaign."Democrats are very good at this. Namecalling, Labeling, the use of Political Correctness. Just like Cohen paying the "ethnic card' bring in Goebbels and the Nazi Propaganda -lies. Using Cohen's own propaganda tactic of transfer – Nazi lies – Republican lies. Republicans need to call him out on it. You don't ignore him.
11. "If you push a negative hard and deep enough, it will break through into its counterside… If you repeat a lie enough times, people will believe it is the truth. Cohen said this with reference to Goebbels. The Democrats are masters of this. They did this very effectively with Bush in the aftermath of Katrina. Bush did not push back, so the lie was believed. Republicans do not have to lie, BUT THEY MUST PUSH BACK & EXPOSE LIES TOLD BY THE DEMOCRATS.
13. Pick the target, freeze it, personalize it, and polarize it. This is exactly what they have done with Sarah Palin. She is an extreme threat to them. If she goes down because fellow Republicans abandon her, no candidate for 2012 will be able to stand against this vicious attack machine. You expose their lies. You present your ideas to the public. You keep your cool as the battle rages about you. You attack where they are weakest. While you retreat where they are strongest, you chip away enough to create doubt. As much as you can, you take the high road and point out that the opposition is taking the low road – asking the question why can’t they just join the debate on a level playing field.
First, Rosine & Jaythehistorian, THANK YOU for your great comments. As for Rep. Cohen…does he remind anyone of the Gestapo guy in "RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK"? You know, the guy in the black leather coat, black Fedora, and black suit? Let's see if he "burns his hand" for his comments. So, if he would just "melt away", he'd do his constituents a favor.
Wow, I was thinking the exact same thing when I saw him. The Gestapo guy in Raiders of the Lost Ark. He is ugly physically as well as inwardly. He only hurts the Jewish ppi. with his disgusting comments on the house floor. Lets hope he goes the same way as (republicans want to kill your children) Rep. Grayson of Florida.
Does anyone here know Steve Cohen personally? Is he really that crude? Does he seem intelligent?
And I thought he was saying something about gerbils…This article was unfortunately 100% accurate. Evil is so boring! In the movies, it's so cool when Clint Eastwood or some other good guy comes in and decimates the bad guys by taking the moral high ground with just a couple words and a stare. What goes around comes around. It's hard to not respond to someone who's chapping your hide, but keeping your composure is like pouring hot coals on their head per the Bible.
BLOOD LIBELS
By
ROBERT F. HARKINS
Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN), a few days after the Arizona tragedies, took the rostrum of the House of Representatives, a House conceived and created over two hundred years ago by an American people.[1] Then and now Americans charge their representatives with a sacred trust: to protect upon their oath an American legacy, a Constitution and the Rule of Law— to preserve forever a Republic conceived in principles of universal and impartial justice, freedom, and dignity.
Americans decry political demagoguery because it inspires deceit, hatred and alienation. They demand instead that their representatives debate the issues of the day rationally so as to discover that truth, harmony and understanding by which a people and their nation may conciliate and survive. Rational debate serves to protect the American legacy, and secure for posterity not only the dignity of the office entrusted to an American congressman and senator, but also to reflect well upon the honor and dignity of those Americans who in the exercise of their franchise placed their representative in a hallowed place of honorable tradition and power. All such congressmen and senators find their way to power because they have convinced Americans, by truths or falsehoods, that in thought, word and deed, they embody the virtue, ethos and moral discipline to which Americans for over two centuries have aspired.
Democrats, following the Arizona tragedy, descended into Dante Aliegieri’s deepest and most obscene Circle of Hell, and from that unholy and accursed place accused millions of conservatives—Tea Partiers, Glen Beck, Bill O’Reilly, Michelle Bachman, Sarah Palin, Rush Limbaugh and all Republican representatives— of a national criminal conspiracy to incite the commission of murder. Incitement to murder is a criminal offence prosecutable were it possible to indict, try and imprison, upon such baseless and incendiary falsehoods, indeed upon a blood libel, perhaps two hundred million conservatives. Indeed, some of those who rage for civility have threatened to murder Sarah Palin or in murderous images pray for her death.
Others, of course, presumably responsible congressmen, seek political self-aggrandizement in demands that the First Amendment of the Bill of Rights be abrogated, as it has in the past has been abrogated, in the same rhetorical frenzy shouted out in Arizona. In 1798 John Adams signed off on the Alien and Sedition Acts. In 1917, Woodrow Wilson signed off on the Espionage and Sedition Acts of 1917. Most recently, former President George Bush signed the McCain/Feingold Bill, criminalizing free speech, a savaging of the First Amendment finally and at last struck down by the Supreme Court. Like the bills signed by John Adams and Woodrow Wilson, Senator’s McCain’s bill defied the plain words of the First Amendment, albeit, of course, like the other bills, for a good reason.
The Espionage and Sedition Acts of 1917, forbade inter alia the writing or utterance of opinions critical of the government, bureaucracy, its congress or the president and other demeaning expressions of opinion which at his leisure President Wilson might conclude could be “useful to the enemy.” The unlucky citizen exercising his right of free speech did so at his peril. He risked indictment, trial, and if found guilty up to a ten thousand dollar fine, twenty years in jail – or both. Better silence; when, after all, American freedoms go unprotected by a Bill of Rights.
In Abrams v. The United States, a troubled Russian immigrant—we have seen his like in one city or another wondering the streets, mumbling inanities and obviously troubled—passed out pamphlets to passerbys in which he expressed opinions critical of America’s potential involvement in Russia following its communist revolution. The Supreme Court—a bit put off by a statute vesting power in the president to decide, ex post facto, whether a citizen should be jailed for his expression of a political opinion, restricted prosecution of free speech only to those opinions which created a clear and present danger [that is an immediate danger] to the government’s prosecution of the war.
In an expression of the hysteria of the times—the same which, as will be seen, Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN) instigated from the rostrum of the House of Representatives—the Supreme Court affirmed the Russian’s conviction for violations of the Espionage and Sedition Acts of 1917 in that the passing out of pamphlets constituted a clear and present danger to the United States. Justices Brandeis and Holmes dissenting marveled at the application of these words, Clear and Present Danger, to this now imprisoned American citizen. Indeed, by what mysterious power did this lonely American conjure into being a clear, present and immediate danger to the wealth, reach and martial power of the mighty sovereign states and their central government? Justices Holmes and Brandeis pointed to the evidentiary absurdity of a criminal conviction and imprisonment based upon "a silly leaflet by an unknown man [that] could not be construed as consequential.”
Too much already has been written of the Arizona tragedy. Those who used the maiming and death of innocent people, including one nine-year-old female child in search of political self-aggrandizement have placed themselves beyond the pale of human society. They are demagogues whose intention is to inspire by libel and defamation hatred of the political party that “shellacked” them in the 2010 November elections. There is not much more need be or can be said of demagogues—this because demagogy is akin to pornography. Once you describe its obscenity, there really is nothing more to be said.
Now on to Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN). The congressman, sotto voce, compared the language of conservative Republicans to that of Nazis, in that the two alike are simpatico to the Second World War immolation of the Jews, and the celebration of their Holocaust; Republicans, in their Nazi like repetition of a “lie”, are no less than craven Nazi liars. In a venomous attack upon the character of Republicans and by reference, to the character of those conservative Americans who voted Republicans into office, Rep. Steve Cohen likened Republicans and their supporters to such Nazi monsters as Joseph Gobbles, and, by association, to the mass murderer Adolph Hitler. He shouted out to a virtually empty chamber,
They say it's a government takeover of health care, a big lie just like Gobbles," Cohen said. "You say it enough, you repeat the lie, you repeat the lie, and eventually, people believe it. Like blood libel. That's the same kind of thing… the Germans said enough about the Jews and people believed it–believed it and you have the Holocaust.
Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN) should be ashamed of himself. He has disgraced his office as he has disgraced the truth, as he has betrayed the dignity of the House of Representatives, as he has betrayed the people who entrusted him with power. He should resign his office. He should be censured. He must apologize.
[1] Johanathan Karls, ABC New, (2011), “Say What? Democrat Compares Republicans to Nazis.”
Brilliant Piece. The best comment so far. I saved it. Very well written.
The same thing happened in 1995 after the Republicans took control of the House and Senate. The issue then was blocks grants to states for education. Because of their plan the Republicans were called Nazis by the Democrats in the House, and later, worse than Nazis. (Same old, unimaginative lib tactic.) So my question is: how does anyone become worse than a Nazi?
Isn't this the guy who spnsored a bill authorizing the bulding of "detainment centers" (not prisons for convicted criminals) to be used at the whim of the federal government for whatever purpose they see fit — and then pretended he didn't remember what was in the bill he sponsored. If I see something I say something. This guy is behaving suspiciously. He should be looked into.
Cohen like many on the inside of government are only tools and will never understand history or care about real people, and guys Obama is not hitler but the next hitler will have a hispanic name and that guy will be your next president and he will end our Nation if not this world with monkey wars just like Mexico and all its little monkey nations.
Are these regular monkeys or flying monkeys?
that is one ugly, treasonous, traitorous jew POS! someone tell me again WHy we support those two-faced, anthrax-sending, USS-Liberty attacking, Lavon Affair covering up, 911 douchebags?
I watched Spartacus: Gods of the Arena" premiere and a good line from that movie applies to Cohen when he speaks" "Words spew forth from his mouth as sh%t from a$$!"
It’s not surprising that the left wing uses every opportunity — no matter how inappropriate or ridiculous — to call their political opponents Nazis. They’ve been using this tactic for as long as I remember.